Another weekend of college football is in full swing. This story will update as more results roll in, but here are some of the most notable winners and losers so far:
Early afternoon favorites (winners)
Saturday’s noon window was not a time to find any remotely plausible candidate for an at-large playoff berth having any problems whatsoever. None of these games were all that interesting, but each winning team warrants a mention anyway.
In its home finale, Ohio State (11-0, 8-0 Big Ten) rolled to a 42-9 victory over Rutgers, holding the Scarlet Knights (5-6, 2-6) to just 147 total yards. That should just about lock the top-ranked Buckeyes into a playoff berth, and a victory at Michigan next week would remove any morsel of doubt.
Texas A&M forced a dozen punts in its 48-0 drubbing of Samford (1-11). The No. 3 Aggies (11-0) don’t have the deepest résumé — they won at Notre Dame, and their second-best victory is a road defeat of either Missouri or LSU — but a loss at Texas next week probably doesn’t bump them far down the at-large list.
Georgia scored touchdowns on four of its first five drives in a 35-3 dusting of Charlotte (1-10). The No. 4 Bulldogs (10-1) might not reach the SEC championship game, but defeating Georgia Tech next week should be enough to make Georgia’s playoff spot secure.
Even though its offense didn’t enjoy a superb day, Oklahoma didn’t have to sweat things late in a 17-6 victory over No. 22 Missouri (7-4, 3-4 SEC). The No. 8 Sooners (9-2, 5-2) close the regular season against LSU at home, and their collection of victories over Alabama, Michigan and Tennessee has them slotted as the playoff committee’s top-ranked two-loss team … for now.
Miami tacked on some style points when Malachi Toney caught a 20-yard touchdown pass from Carson Beck with 20 seconds to go in a 34-17 victory at Virginia Tech. The No. 13 Hurricanes (9-2, 5-2 ACC) had the game in hand the whole time; they led 20-3 at the break and never let the Hokies (3-8, 2-5) within single digits. They head to Pittsburgh next week, needing another victory to have any shot at a playoff berth.
SMU (winner)
The Mustangs’ two September losses meant they were free to operate without too much attention beyond local precincts the rest of this season, apart from noting Coach Rhett Lashlee’s potential to go elsewhere. (And even that was basically mitigated this month by a contract extension through 2032).
But here’s the thing: There’s a decent case to be made SMU (8-3, 6-1) is one of the ACC’s two best teams.
The Mustangs beat Miami in overtime. They won at Clemson (which, admittedly, doesn’t mean as much as it usually does). Their lone conference loss was a 13-12 decision at spunky Wake Forest. And they absolutely bulldozed fading Louisville, 38-6, on Saturday.
Kevin Jennings threw for 303 yards and three touchdowns against the Cardinals (7-4, 4-4), who were overmatched on both sides of the ball. SMU didn’t have a three-and-out until the final four minutes; Louisville had five of them in its first eight possessions.
The Mustangs will head into their regular season finale at California as one of three one-loss teams in ACC play, joining Virginia and the winner of Saturday night’s Pitt-Georgia Tech game. Another victory won’t guarantee a place in the ACC title game, but SMU might be playing as well as anyone in the league at the moment.
Florida State (loser)
Another slog through the ACC concluded Friday night for the Seminoles, a 21-11 loser at North Carolina State. That drops Florida State to 5-6 overall and 2-6 in the ACC. It has lost 13 of its 16 league games over the past two seasons; never before had the Seminoles combined for more than 10 ACC losses in a two-season span.
And please do remember, no institution was louder about a conference’s membership dragging its reputation down than Florida State. Seems like the Seminoles haven’t needed any help on that front. They’ll visit Florida next week and need a victory to become eligible for a postseason appearance.
Tulsa (winner)
The Golden Hurricane’s 10-game conference losing streak is over thanks to a 26-25 victory Saturday at Army. Dominic Richardson rushed for 203 yards and a touchdown and Seth Morgan kicked a 27-yard field goal with 12 seconds left as Tulsa (4-7, 1-6 American) scored three times in the final 4 minutes 17 seconds to escape West Point with a victory.
That gives the Golden Hurricane one more victory under first-year coach Tre Lamb than it had a season ago. While the possibility of bowl eligibility ended this month, Tulsa can still close the year on a three-game winning streak with UAB visiting next week in the season finale for both teams.
Akron (winner)
The first Football Bowl Subdivision team to complete its season, the Zips defeated Bowling Green, 19-16, in some Tuesday night #MACtion to finish 5-7 overall.
That may not sound like much, but it is Akron’s largest victory total since 2017. And at 4-4 in the Mid-American Conference, it’s also the first time the Zips have finished .500 or better in the league since that season.
All of which is to note Coach Joe Moorhead, who went 14-12 at Mississippi State in 2018-19 in his first FBS head coaching stint, has done fine work resuscitating a program that has made just three bowl trips in its history. The MAC isn’t raided by power conference schools for coaches like it once was, but Moorhead’s work over the past four years might get him another look from a bigger program.
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